The Fiery Tongue

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There's another picture of fire in the New Testament, and it comes in James 3. James says in verse 5 “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” And then in verse six, he says, “The tongue also is a fire. A world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

Have you ever thought of your tongue like that? As corrupted, setting the course of your life on fire?

The Tongue’s Power

Your words do have power. This is something I often speak to couples that I do marriage prep with. We speak about the power of your words in your marriage, how they can build up or break down, they can cause growth or destruction.

Your tongue is so powerful! In all your relationships, in all the situations in your life, your tongue, your words, the way you speak can corrupt everything and set your life on fire.

In fact, I just watched a video on YouTube the other day, a musician that I follow talking about how his band committed career suicide with two words because they mocked another famous band on stage. And it turned out that that band was in the audience. And so that famous band made sure that this group didn't get any success. A small moment of saying the wrong thing changed everything.

Speaking Good Things

Now Jesus spoke about setting the world on fire, and I wonder if our tongues are setting the world on fire in the right way, or if they're setting our lives on fire in the wrong way.

Your words can speak life and power and anointing into your life, or your words can speak, defeat, disappointment, hatred into your life.

Carefully consider your words my friends, carefully consider the power of your tongue. It only takes a spark to get a fire going, right? That's what James said. So be slow to speak because God hears every word.

I pray that your tongue and my tongue today will be anointed by the Holy Spirit, that our tongues will be instruments for good, to set the world on fire for Christ and for his goodness not to cause division and hurt and defeat wherever we go.

Watch your tongue! Because it can set fires very quickly.